Cy Woods AP English III: American Studies/DC

catannous@gmail.comPlease e-mail me if you need a letter of recommendation for college or if you need a little help with any sort of writing.

For a LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION:

Your résumé is helpful!

Tell me what strengths you wish highlighted; what you are most proud of.

What do you envision yourself doing ten years from now? (Dream a little...)

Share a favorite quote and explain it.

Remind me what your Research Paper was about. (To be strong in research impresses!)

Be sure to share with me any hardship, family illness, loss, personal struggle that you are now or have been going through. I don't want to pry, but this question is always asked on college admission questionnaires, and it is a strong point to show your resilience and perseverance.

If you need me to MAIL a rec letter, it would be very kind of you to send me addressed envelopes and stamps. (My address is 7915 Hickory Mill Ct., Houston, TX 77095). Most applications are online now, but a few are not.

I will not be sending the rec letter directly to you. I will be sending it to the university. Generally speaking, a rec letter is never shared with the student. Please be assured that I will write a positive, glowing letter about you.

However, I have the distinct feeling that America is not placing any bets on the survival of Indians. America will not even allow Indians to become citizens of the 20th century. We're trapped somewhere between Custer and Columbus, between the noble and savage. I've heard it said that Indians shouldn't become involved inhigh-stakesgamblingbecause it tarnishes our noble heritage. Personally, I've never believed in the nobility of poverty. Personally, I believe in the nobility of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Indians need money.

Forget the discussions about self-hate or cultural dislocation. Forget the loss of land and language. Most Indians cannot even begin to think about those kinds of complicated issues. They don't have the time. They have to spend most of their time worrying about where their next meal is coming from. They worry about how love and hunger can get so mixed up. Most Indians don't have time or energy enough to listen to me or you.

As Billie Holiday said, "You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for anybody's damned sermon."

Apple's iPAD Air ad quotes poet Walt Whitman. The voice is actor Robin Williams, who played an English teacher in the movie, "The Dead Poet's Society."

Whitman examines a butterfly, 1877.

We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for.
To quote from Whitman,“O me, O life of the questions of these recurring. Of the endless trains of the faithless. Of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, O me, O life? Answer: that you are here. That life exists and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
“That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”What will your verse be?

Like the Mona Lisa, this painting has become a cultural icon enshrined in ambiguity. When Wood first painted it, some Iowa farmers were furious because the painting made them look like "pinched, grim-faced, puritanical Bible-thumpers." Critics like Gertrude Stein hailed the painting as an amusing satire of rural small town life. But, as the Depression worsened, some saw strength in those steadfast glares facing hardship. The painting began to be interpreted as honest, straightforward, hardworking bedrock rural America, a symbol of the pioneering spirit that never gives up. They are simple, ordinary folk: she with her apron trimmed in rick-rack, a cameo holding tight the white collar of her modest print dress; and he in faded overalls and an old jacket, tightly gripping a pitchfork, ready to shovel manure or face down any bill collector.

O Star (the fairest one in sight),We grant your loftiness the rightTo some obscurity of cloud --It will not do to say of night,Since dark is what brings out your light.Some mystery becomes the proud.But to be wholly taciturnIn your reserve is not allowed.

Say something to us we can learnBy heart and when alone repeat.Say something! And it says "I burn."But say with what degree of heat.Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade.Use language we can comprehend.Tell us what elements you blend.

It gives us strangely little aid,But does tell something in the end.And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,Not even stooping from its sphere,It asks a little of us here.It asks of us a certain height,So when at times the mob is swayedTo carry praise or blame too far,We may choose something like a starTo stay our minds on and be staid.

Words to remember as you consider a career. . .

WALTER KASE--Holocaust Survivor and Cy Woods Hero

"NONE of us--none of us has a choice about whom we are. God decides on the color of our skin. God decides on our religion. God decides on our nationality. So to be mean, to be hateful, to be disrespectful to people who God chose to make different than we are is sinful. It's ungodly, and it leads to horrible tragedies like the Holocaust..." --Walter Kase

Racism is stupid. I am black, white and Asian. But everyone loves me.

You will improve your essay writing skills tremendously if you spend time looking at student essays from past AP Exams, studying how they were scored, and reading the Commentary offered by College Board. CLICK BELOW!

You can also download their interactive audio programs to your MP3 player.

DEPRESSION is real. . .

Depression is not a sign of weakness, but rather it is most often a sign that an individual has tried to be too strong for too long. If you feel you are suffering from depression, do not hesitate to ask for help.